A Jacksonville woman is crediting her participation in a research study with saving her life.
The Lung Health Cohort Research Study is evaluating lung health in 4,000 young people ages 25-35. The study first began enrolling participants on Nov. 5, 2021. So far, more than 3,000 young adults have already enrolled in the American Lung Association’s groundbreaking study.
Cindy Springer, who works as the market director of the American Lung Association in Jacksonville, participated in it.
Springer first heard about the study in 2019 and enrolled in January 2023. She said she was working on raising money for the research and decided to be a part of it.
Participants begin the study by completing breathing and blood tests and getting a CT scan of their chest. The study asks participants questions about where they’ve lived, what jobs they’ve held and a series of other questions regarding their lifestyle and overall health. After the initial testing, participants are periodically surveyed to see if anything has changed. The goal of the study is to begin tracking participants when they are at peak lung health and then follow them throughout their lives. The study evaluates their environment, lifestyle and physical activity habits to see how they affect their respiratory health long term.
Springer joined the study at age 35, had never smoked and had no cancer symptoms. Three years prior, a CT of her chest had shown a tiny spot. It wasn’t a worry at the time, and doctors thought it was only inflammation. However, the CT from the study revealed that the spot had grown.
Springer consulted with a board member, and he recommended that she get a biopsy after a PET scan didn’t show anything.
Her biopsy results revealed that she had stage 1 lung cancer.
Since it was caught early on, Springer had surgery to remove the cancer and didn’t need to undergo chemo.
Now, she is cancer free and is grateful that the study detected her cancer so early. She explained that lung cancer screening doesn’t usually begin until age 50, and symptoms of lung cancer don’t appear until later stages.
Springer said that she feels really lucky.
She said that, while she already had a baseline knowledge of lung health, the study expanded her prior knowledge. She said that everyone knows that smoking causes lung cancer, but she learned that radon, which occurs naturally in many homes, is the second leading cause. She said she was amazed by how resilient the human body can be during her recovery.
Springer encourages young people to enroll in the study. She said that getting to be a part of the study was a positive experience, and it’s good to have a baseline knowledge about lung health.
The study is currently underway locally at Nemours Children’s Health and UF Health. To learn more about the study, go to https://www.lung.org/research/lung-health-cohort-study.
